Safety is for the Weak
by jassmarie19
Summary: Cherry sneaks out. Really, just something I wrote to try and make myself like a characterization of Cherry Valance because I generally don't like her.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a writing exercise because I don't like the character of Cherry Valance. Could possibly turn into a real story, but I don't think so right now.**

Sometimes I just hated life. I hated pretending to be someone I'm not. The perfect girl. A Soc. Beautiful and smart and pure. That's why I snuck out.

At first I didn't have the courage, but I slowly got braver and braver. I opened my window. Stuck my head out. Put a leg out, and so on and so on until one day, I wound up here, at Buck's. On the completely opposite side of town. And last time, I actually went inside.

I was petrified. You could hear the music before you even got there and when you opened the door, smoke filled the air outside because the air inside was saturated with it. It wasn't long until someone found me.

I'm not sure what tipped him off first. My clothes, my expression, it could have been anything, but he walked over to me. Smoothly.

"Howdy," he had said with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a beer in his hand.

_Greaser.__Trash_. "Hi," I replied, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"So what's a pure young thing like you doin' in such a trashy part of town?" He knew I was a Soc. Knew it from the moment he saw me, there was no doubt about that.

_Just __try __and __act __like __you __belong._ "Decided I'd check out the scene," my voice quivered. _Damn._

He tilted his head to get a closer look at my face. "You seemed scared."

_No __shit,__Sherlock.__I__'__m __a __little __far __from__ my __usual __territory, __if __you __hadn__'__t __already __noticed._ "Yea."

"Don't worry about it. Most decent guys don't really bother the chicks around here."

"So then why are you bothering me?" _Shit._

He smirked. "I never said I was decent." And then he just walked away.

That was why I was here again tonight. I wanted to see him again. Ant this time, I would seem like I belonged.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. Another chapter. I'm almost as surprised as you are. Oh, who am I kidding! I couldn't leave it like this!**

I found him almost immediately. He was leaning against the bar; talking to the bartender, drink in hand. God, he was sexy. Every orifice of his body screamed sex. It wasn't that he was attractive; he just had an air of experience and cockiness that turned me on. He was the complete opposite of Bob, and I was glad. I needed something different. That was why I snuck out in the first place, something different. A release from the everyday of a perfect Soc girl. Quiet. Dependable. I was sick of it.

I walked up to him. God, I was brave.

"Hey." _I__'__m __an __idiot.__ A__ complete __idiot._

He turned around, slowly. He was obviously bothered that his conversation had been interrupted, but his expression changed one he saw me.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He looked me up and down. _He __recognized__ me._I had rolled my skirt and put on a little more makeup. I didn't feel uncomfortable under his gaze; it was the same way that Bob looked at me when he drank. "What are you doin' back here?"

"Decided I'd check out the scene."

He smirked. "Can you say anything else?"

"Yes!" I said indignantly.

There was a paused. "I'm waiting."

I sat down on the bar stool. "Come here often?"

He smirked again. "Yeah, every so often."

I nodded.

"Can I get you somethin' to drink?" I had never really drunk before.

"Yeah, sure," _shit.__What __was__ I__ getting__ myself __into?_

"Two," he signaled to the bartender. She slid two opened beers down the bar. He easily caught them and handed one to me. I took a swig and tried not to make a face. I failed.

He laughed, sort of. "Don't drink much?"

I suddenly felt braver. "I'm normally a very good girl," I said as I leaned closer to him.

His eyes glistened. "Really now? I never would have guessed."

I took another swig. "Mm-hm. I am."

He slung his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. "Well, we'll just have to change that, won't we?"

I took another swig and pulled away. "Not tonight." I stood up.

"Well," he said, "at least let me know your name."

"Cherry. Cherry Valance. And yours?"

"Dallas. Dallas Winston."


End file.
